Frostbite
by Deliciously Delirious
Summary: After landing at a winter island, Sanji and Zoro are sent on recon duty. But secretly, Zoro is sick and the pair get stuck in a blizzard with no way out. ZoSan, yaoi, fluff, and a lot of swearing in later chapters. HIATUS! PROBABLY NEVER COMING BACK!
1. Chapter 1

Title: Frostbite

(A/N): I have this weird fetish with sick/injured/torture fics, and yes, I am placing the two of them as already being a couple. **There will be no smut!**

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><p>Just about every day on the Going Merry was the same as the last, unless the crew was docked at an island. Days like those were pretty hectic, to say the least, and they happened every week or so. Nevertheless, the entire crew was overjoyed to hear that an island, despite it being a winter one, was coming up. They had been sailing for nine days straight and supplies were extremely low. Well, that and the fact that Zoro was being a total ass about the lack of sex with his lover, Sanji. The chance to be alone was too tempting to let it slip by.<p>

_Should I try to convince Nami-san to let the two of us stay at an inn…or that we should "guard" the ship while they stay in town? That is, if the place is even populated._ Sanji had come up with every logical, incognito excuse to be with Zoro, but he might as well have said, "Hey, Nami, is it okay if I have gay sex at your expense?" However, the captain snapped him out of his thoughts.

"SANJI! MAKE SURE TO GET SOME REALLY TASTY FOOD, M'KAY?" Sanji released his puff as the veins on his forehead throbbed. He stood up from the deck chair, obviously pissed off. Wordlessly, he spun Luffy around, grabbed the back of his shirt collar and kicked him, headfirst, into the mast.

"IF YOU WEREN'T SUCH A SHITTY THEIF, WE COULD AFFORD MORE FOOD! EVEN I HAVE MY LIMITS!" the cook screeched as Luffy pulled his rubbery noggin out of the wood.

"Sorry…" Luffy trudged off, leaving Sanji to his cigarettes and angst. Moments later, Zoro snuck up from behind and hugged the blonde, burying his face in Sanji's neck.

"What's got you so upset, Swirly?" Zoro murmured in his uke's ear. Sanji suddenly relaxed, turning his head to respond.

"I really need to get off this damn ship, Marimo, and I know you're prepared to kill if it means private sex, because I won't do it any other way," he whispered with increasing volume. "_And_ you've been a total statue towards me," he snarled, tensing again.

"How many time do I have to tell you? The odds of someone walking out on deck in the middle of the night are slim to none, so it's perfectly safe for us to-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Sanji shrugged off the vegg-head's arms, took a long drag, and walked inside, muttering something about getting his coat. It _was_ starting to get cold, but Zoro hardly noticed- he'd been cold for the last few days, long before they were being driven to a frozen island. He brushed it off as nothing, but he began to feel funny the day before; fatigued, light-headed, and the appetite that rivaled Luffy's was nonexistent. Zoro felt worse when he woke up, but not by much, therefore, he continued to dismiss it.

_Probably just air pressure change or something. I can barely remember the last time I got sick, so why now?_ Icy wind suddenly whipped the green-haired seme's skin. _Definitely felt that…_ He shivered and stepped into the (much warmer) male cabin. 'Twas nap time for Zoro, and for the third time that day, despite the fact that it was only noon. Moments later, he was out like a light, and the island was within sight.

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><p>"Zoro…time to get up…" Chopper carefully prodded Zoro through his blanket.<p>

"Ugh…we're there already?" he yawned and slipped out of his hammock.

"Yup. We just dropped anchor and Nami wants you and Sanji to go inland and see if there's a town we can get supplies at," Chopper explained as Zoro put on his coat. The tiny doctor and drowsy swordsman climbed onto the deck to be greeted by their frozen nakama.

"D-Damn it's so c-cold," Usopp complained as ice hung from his nose. Sanji smirked at Zoro as he lit up another cigarette. Zoro was about to confront the cook when Nami cut in.

"Okay, Sanji-kun and Zoro will take the trail Luffy found earlier, and later, Robin-san and Usopp will follow."

"Why can't we all just go together?" Chopper inquired.

"Because I have a feeling that a blizzard will come soon, so we need help to move Merry further east, and smaller groups travel faster. That and those two can take just about anything," Nami concluded, unaware that Sanji still had nightmares from his agonizing experiences on Drum Island. (A/N: Just kiddin')

"Oi, Swirly, lets get movin'," Zoro grabbed Sanji and threw him onto the rocky shore.

"OI! What the Hell was that for, shitty-Marimo?" Sanji yelled as he dug himself out of the cold pebbles. That simple move left Zoro mildly winded, but he responded at full force,

"Just wanted to get you fired up for the trip!" he shouted before he leaped off the side of Merry and landed just feet away from Sanji. Cussing and screaming death threats at one another, the cook and swordsman walked off as snow began to fall and thoughts were seconded.

"Navigator-san, do you really think it was a good idea to send those two together?" Robin asked as said duo vanished from sight.

"I honestly have no idea...oh, well. Chopper, raise the anchor! The storm is coming in faster than I anticipated!" Nami ordered.

_"Then why didn't you wait before you sent them off?"_ Usopp shrieked angrily. Nami shrugged. Usopp screamed again.

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><p>The storm was right on top of Sanji and Zoro, but they continued on in silence. They had walked uphill in knee-deep snow for the better part of a half hour. About ten miles or so, and Zoro finally realized how much he actually felt like crap. He recognized the feeling of a nasty fever from his fight with Arlong, but with the wind picking up, he chose not to make Sanji worry and slow them down.<p>

"Oi, Marimo, how ya doin' back there?" Sanji called over the gusts of snow and ice.

"Fine, Swirly, just fine," Zoro lied. One moment he was sweating, and the next he was ice cold; exhausted and ill, the world seemed jut a little blurry to Zoro. Snow and ice suddenly came down harder, and the wind was a deafening roar in the two men's ears.

_One more step, one more step, one more step… _Zoro kept repeating the phrase in his mind, to no avail. He collapsed in a growing drift, entire body aching. The cook stopped dead. Something had moved in his peripheral vision. Sanji spun around and saw his seme in the snow.

"Marimo!" He cried as he dashed over to his fallen lover, "Oi, oi, oi! What the Hell's wrong? OI!" The cook flipped Zoro over and noticed the bright shade of crimson all over his face. Zoro's eyes snapped open and he stood up, drawing his katana. His ever was high enough for delirium to set in.

"Sanji, run! I'll hold them off!" he ran forward, slashing an invisible enemy.

"Zoro, there's no one there! Cut this crazy shit out!" the cook stood up and grabbed Zoro's shoulder, only to be cut at himself. He stood stock-still in shock.

_Damn._ Sanji realized something. _He felt hot when he hugged me earlier, I should've known!_ Zoro was still a whirlwind of power, murdering invisible enemies in a fevered frenzy. Minutes later, the swordsman panted and sheathed his weapons. He turned to Sanji and smiled in triumph, eyes rolling back into his head and muscles giving out. The blond-haired uke caught him before he fell. A nearby tree cracked and fell, scaring the crap out of the wired cook.

_This blizzard's getting worse, and there's no town in sight. Shitty-Marimo, he should've said something._ Sanji threw the unconscious Zoro over his back in a loose piggyback formation. He stepped forward, hell-bent on finding shelter for his sick lover.

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><p><strong>Back on the Going Merry<strong>

"What's wrong Luffy?" Chopper questioned his frightfully solemn captain.

"Nami say's the blizzard got to big for us to go after Sanji and Zoro. I have a really bad feeling about it."

"C'mon, Luffy. It's _Sanji and Zoro_ we're talking about. Those two will be fine, after all, they have each other," Usopp cut in.

"I think that's what he's so worried about," Chopper whispered into the marksman's ear, earning a giggle.

"Just be glad we avoided the storm!" Nami called from the middle deck. "And I think I see something up on that cliff top! Holy crap, it's a town!" Nami suddenly felt a pang of guilt at sending her nakama out into a horrible snowstorm.

"Don't feel bad, Navigator-san. If either one gets too bad of frostbite, Doctor-san can amputate without any pain," Robin gave her personal brand of misplaced reassurance.

"That is sooo grooosss!" Nami cried in disgust as the boys tried to keep Luffy from sulking. Little did they know that frostbite wasn't the real problem. Both Zoro and the storm were getting worse.

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><p><em>Come on! Why does my luck suck <em>so badly_? _Sanji was desperate to find a spot where the wind wouldn't touch him and Zoro, and said wind was about to blow him over. It seemed come from all directions, and the snow and ice clung to Sanji and Zoro's coats, soaking and freezing them simultaneously. The cook had been walking- no, _swimming_ in snow for what felt like hours when he finally got a break. The sharp slope he was crawling up was starting to flatten out into an ice covered mountain ledge. Sanji stopped dead when he noticed the shiny film on the wet rock.

_ For the love of God! I have to be even more careful now. Well…here I go! _The cook jumped as high and far as he could, narrowly missing a patch of exposed ground. He shifted Zoro on his back, gripping the green-haired man's inner knees as best he could with numb hands. He jumped again, and again, and again until the ice was behind him. Then Sanji began to run as fast he could, thankful for the warm blood in his lower appendages. The blonde suddenly skidded to a stop for, right in front of him, was salvation. A fully intact cabin.

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><p>Whew! I wrote this in about two days, and there will be more! I'm also writing some Naruto stuff, but that's on hold for the time being.<p>

Pretty lucky they found that cabin, huh? Please review!

Fishy-Neko-Fangirl


	2. Chapter 2

**Frostbite, Ch. 2**

**Enjoy!**

Sanji blinked. There in front of him was shelter and safety from the storm. Without thinking, he sprinted towards the front door, jostling Zoro but not waking him up. Upon closer inspection, the outside of the cabin was coated in a thin layer of ice, had mucked-up windows, and appeared to be incredibly weather-beaten, but at least it was safe.

_Come on, come on, open up! _Sanji pounded on the door until he realized that it, too, had been frozen shut. He stepped back and carefully kicked the base of the heavy wood slab, causing the ice to shatter and fall away.

_Bingo!_ The cook grabbed the handle and forced inward, revealing an empty, dusty interior. It was small, cold, and dark, but Sanji practically leaped inside with relief. After sliding Zoro off his back and onto the table, the blonde slammed the door and searched for a lamp in the dim light. Sparking the cloth wick with his beloved lighter, he quickly surveyed the rest of the one-room lodge.

"Let's see…aha! Blankets, perfect!" Sanji called out to deaf ears as he raided the closet he found. Placing the lamp on the table and lowering Zoro onto the blanketed floor, the cook quickly pulled off Zoro's sopping coat, and then his own. Seeing as they were wet all over, both men were in nothing but boxers and blankets soon.

_Okay…there's a fireplace and plenty of wood stocked up, so it's fire time. _Zoro lay on the floor, blanketed but shivering as Sanji struggled to light the damp fire paper. Finally, it caught, and the room slowly warmed with its glow. Sanji began to speculate.

_I wonder if Nami-san or Robin-chan has figured out what happened to us. They will when this stupid blizzard blows over, 'cause until then, Shitty-Marimo and I are stuck here. _Sanji placed the wet clothes on a rack by the fire, moved Zoro closer to it, and started to search for food. _What _was _he thinking when we were told to search for a town on our own? That we would think less of him? _Zoro started to whimper in his fevered slumber. _Damn moss-head, always being so difficult._

**Back at the Going Merry**

"Sweet!" Usopp cried. "A town! But how are we supposed to get up there?" he motioned toward the high cliff face.

"Simple!" the captain yelled as he stretched his arm to the top.

"Captain-san, I think there is a better way up," Robin cut in. "There is a road further east that we can take up to the top." She smiled and pointed.

"Oh…okay. YOSH! TO THE ROAD!" Luffy gleefully ordered.

"Thank you…" Nami sighed with relief as the ship turned to the eastward dock. When a man was spotted on the planks, Chopper quickly turned to his Speed Point and tried to pass off for a normal reindeer.

"HELLOOOO, OSSAN!" Luffy yelled in joy to the stranger who dropped his rucksack in shock.

"Stupid Luffy!" Usopp hissed as he smothered his spaz-out friend with his hand.

"Hello, sir," Robin calmly greeted him. "Is it okay if we dock here? We need supplies and this is the only island we could find."

"Oh, sure. Wait…from the look of your sail, I believe it's safe to say that you are the infamous Straw Hat Pirates?" he didn't appear freaked-out at all.

"Yosh! We are!" Luffy grinned.

"STUPID LUFFY!" the doctor, navigator, and marksman screamed in unison, beating him to the deck in frustration.

"Oh, cool!" He literally jumped for joy.

"HUH?" the entire crew was baffled, even Robin, who was halfway down the rope ladder.

"Yeah!" Robin noticed that the man was really a teenager, around the age 17 or more. "Pirates rarely ever come here, and to have such epic ones at our little island!" he gasped for breath, he was so excited.

"Wait," Usopp jumped down, "you're not scared? We're wanted men, you must know that!" The teen just grinned and shook his capped head eagerly.

"Oh!" the teen realized something. "My name's Mox, and this frozen hell of an island is the Iced Sky Island, where we welcome all sea travelers!" Mox slung his bag over his shoulder and turned to Luffy and nodded, still smiling.

"W-Wait, Luffy, you can't just trust this guy so suddenly, we don't know him at all!" Nami attempted reason, but her captain placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Nami. We can get our supplies and wait for Sanji and Zoro here. Besides, if someone _does_ attack us, I'll kick his ass," Luffy raised a fist to prove the point, which actually reassured the carrot-toped woman, to a point. Nami nodded and shouted,

"Lower the anchor! I have a feeling that we're going to be here for a while!"

"YOSH!"

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><p>"Shhhh, it's okay Zoro, it's okay," Sanji tried to comfort his ill lover with little result. The cook had found dried meat and simple canned food in a cabinet, and was trying his best to create an edible dish while tending to Zoro.<p>

"I'm no doctor," Sanji muttered, " but I'd say that you're getting worse… Damn it all to Hell." He removed the wet towel on the swordsman's forehead as the windows rattled with the wind. The cook carefully tipped spoon of what was basically heated water down the swordsman's throat.

"Nnngh…" Zoro groaned in his sleep and curled towards Sanji. He brushed the sleeping man's cheek with his hand and held him closer. Sanji could feel Zoro shaking between their tarp-like wraps and started to worry again.

_C'mon, wake up! Tell me we something, anything that means your all right! God, Chopper better be able to fix him. _Zoro groaned again

"Sssh, it's alright. Just hang on a little longer and you'll be fine."

Sanji could only hope.

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><p>"So tell me, Mox, why is this island called the Iced Sky Island?" Robin began small talk with their new friend as they crew ambled up the salted street.<p>

"Oh, it's kinda obvious when the blizzards aren't raging across the southern side of the island." Mox stopped and pointed upwards. "There is a super-high mountain in the center of this island and it's always got snow clouds swirling around it, so the sky looks iced. Thusly, it's the Iced Sky Island." Robin nodded her head and smiled.

"Well, that makes sense. Are blizzard's a normal thing here?"

"Actually, you came here in the middle of the season, and so many people come from the south side that we have special emergency cabins for lost travelers."

"Really?" Honestly, there was no doubt in Robin's mind that he was telling the truth, but she wanted to learn more.

"Yeah…" Mox suddenly seemed upset.

"What's wrong?" The rest of the crew was starting to catch up.

"Oh, it's just that the storms can completely reshape the terrain until it thaws, and not everybody makes here in one piece." Robin mentally paled.

_Are they alright out there? _Usopp cut off her thought.

"Hey, how big is this island, anyhow?"

"Not very big, but it's very high above sea-level. So much so that no one's ever reached the peak of the mountain and survived. The legend says it's an evil spirit who claims the peak as it's own and kills all who lay eyes on it." Mox made a spooky face and laughed.

"Let me guess, that's why the clouds are always around it?" Robin inquired.

"Exactly."

"D-Don't tell Luffy, or we'll never leave without going to the top," Usopp was worried as Hell.

"Hey! Nami called from behind. "Is that the town?" She pointed ahead of them.

"Yup! My home village, Mushi-Mushi!" A small, snow-covered settlement came into view and Mox sped up the path. He stopped and cupped his hands around his mouth.

"ROXI! WE HAVE GUESTS!" Mox turned around. "Roxi is my older sister. Will you stay with us for the evening? I assume you used a Log Pose, and it takes about two and a half days before it can set. Three if you want to be safe." Nami was about to decline, still wary about the teenager, but Luffy was to excited.

"Yosh! As long as you have meat!" Mox looked like he was about to cry with joy.

"Sweet~! We have plenty of snow beef. My house is just a little further," he continued onto the main street. Despite the freezing temperature, the inhabitants of Mushi-Mushi went about their days like any other community. Suddenly, a young woman covered in a massive coat ran up to the crew and their new companion.

"Mox! How many times do I have to tell you? Don't scream for me like that!" She noticed the pirates standing behind the boy. "Uhh…are these your new friends?"

"This is my sister, Roxi. Roxi, these are the Straw Hat Pirates. They'll be staying with us for the night until their Log Pose sets." Roxi studied them all carefully and made a face.

"Where's Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro? And all the stories say that there's a blonde man with legs of steel. You're crew's short two." Nami shifted from foot to foot.

"They are somewhere between the south side of the island and here." Chopper answered. Roxi didn't seem surprised that a reindeer had just spoken to her.

Just like her little brother.

"Well, in that case, you _must_ stay with us until they arrive."

_That is, if they ever arrive. _Usopp thought.

**Woohoo! I updated!**

**Doing my best, so please review! I write faster when I get them! And if you'll notice, I cut the usage of 'seme' and 'uke'.**

**Fishy-Neko-Fangirl **


	3. Chapter 3

Frostbite, Chapter 3

Enjoy!

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><p><em>Zoro ran as fast as he could towards the sound of gunfire. The scents of smoke and blood were thick in the air as the swordsman sprinted through alleyways and narrow streets. He finally reached the square and was shocked to see an all-out riot, especially the center of the mob. Sanji stood, bloody and weak from the beatings he received from the rabid men. Zoro tried to call out to him, to run away, but the blonde just stayed still, not even flinching at harsh blows.<em>

_However, Zoro's voice was gone and he soon found himself unable to move. Sanji's dead eyes met his own, and were suddenly full of pain and fear. He shouted something._

_ "Zoro! Help me! Please! They won't stop until we're both dead, and it's out of control!" Ropes swiftly wound themselves around Zoro, aided by invisible hands. Sanji collapsed to his knees, still crying out for help. _

_A gun was raised to Sanji's head._

_ "Zoro, please! Help!" Tears began to fall freely from his eyes. "Help me, I beg of you!" The ropes were invisible to the cook. _

_The gun cocked. _

_ "YOU TOLD ME YOU LOVED ME!"_

_The gun fired._

Zoro shot up from the floor, and a cry died in his throat, coming out as a squeak. He panted, exhausted from his nightmare. Realizing that he was not on the Merry, Zoro began to panic.

_What happened? Where am I? Was that a dream? _Cold sweat covered his body, and he noticed the warm lines traced on his face.

He had been crying in his sleep.

_Sanji! Where is he?_ More tears came as he remembered the dream he had. A light snore spooked Zoro, and his eyes strained in the soft light of the final smoldering embers. Sanji was right next to him, safe and sound.

He felt cold, having tossed off the blankets in his fit of terror, and remembered what happened earlier.

"Damn." Zoro whispered. "He carried me all the way here?" The green-haired man replaced the comforter around the cook and inched over to the wall.

_The last thing I fully remember is Sanji screaming at me about something. _He peered out the cloudy window. The blizzard had stopped but the wind was still strong and howled piercingly. Zoro shivered and looked around, eyes adjusted to the light. Sanji was sleeping on his side, appearing as though he had slowly fallen over from a sitting position.

Zoro felt incredibly light-headed and feared he was about to fall over. Crawling over to the pile of sheets, he snuggled in close, trying to warm up. Soon, he reentered the world of dreams, tears still sticky on his face.

**Back in Mushi-Mushi**

As the remaining Strawhats followed Mox and Roxi deeper into the town, a small building came into view. Two stories of ice-covered brick and wood stared over the group.

"Well," Mox declared, "here we are. This is where Roxi and I live. We run a small inn, but since it's the blizzard season, we don't have many customers."

"Please," Roxi motioned, "come on in." A group gasp was heard as the nakama entered the elaborate doorway. All around them were photos and pieces of artwork that looked centuries old. Robin knew she like the two from the start.

"Please, let me take your coats." Mox offered. Now that his hat and scarves were gone, his face and hair were visible, as was his sister's. Both had dirty-blonde hair and green eyes, as well as sharp cheekbones and mildly tanned skin. Roxi wore simple clothes but had a silver necklace that Nami was sure had a high value.

"You can stay in any room you like and stay for as long as you wish. We'll help you find your friends, if you'll allow us." Mox offered as he showed them around the inn.

_Rustic and well preserved. Robin would probably put it that way. _Usopp thought as he passed an old, stocky water jug in the hallway.

"Do you have any other family?" Chopper asked, now in Brain Point again.

"No, just us. Roxi practically raised me, and we inherited all this from our great uncle. He really didn't like us, but we were the only heirs. At least he wasn't stupid." Mox laughed. The tour soon concluded, and rooms were picked.

Nami and Robin chose to take separate rooms but shared a master bathroom. Usopp, Luffy, and Chopper were confined to a larger room with bunk beds. Usopp lost their rock-paper-scissors tournament and was forced to take a bottom bunk, much to the girls' dismay. The shouting and pounding almost broke a lamp.

Nami gave them all a proper neck wringing.

"Dinner is ready, if you'd like some." Roxi informed them.

"Okay." Nami answered. "When we find our cook, we can pay you back in food." Roxi seemed relieved.

"Yes! Real, decent food!" Almost everyone found that comment hilarious. Except for the cook himself. Despite Roxi's apparent hatred of Mox's cooking, the meal was not all that bad.

Not as good as Sanji's, of course.

"Hey, Nami," Chopper began as they helped clear the table, "do you think that Zoro and Sanji are okay? I have that strange feeling Luffy had earlier."

"Now that you mention it, I do feel a bit off about it all. Tell you what, first thing in the morning, we'll go out and look for them, okay?" She smiled.

"Yosh!" The chibi doctor returned the grin. Their silent happy fest was interrupted by Luffy causing trouble. Snow beef was his new weakness, much to the hosts' enjoyment.

"I needed to get rid of some of it," Mox chortled as Luffy choked on a massive piece.

"OKAY!" Usopp cried, "EVERYONE TO BED! WE HAVE A LONG DAY AHEAD OF US!" For once, nobody argued with the great liar.

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><p>While the rest of the crew slept soundly in warm, dry beds, Zoro continued to have horrific fever dreams well into the night. Around sunset, Sanji awoke to care for Zoro, who's state had declined after he went back to sleep. Deciding it to be best if they waited until the sun came up and the wind died down, Sanji made a makeshift satchel out of a thin sheet, which he filled with food. Getting Zoro's clothes back on him was a real struggle.<p>

"Shit, Zoro, why are you so fuckin' damn difficult?" Sanji muttered as he forced the swordsman's pants back on. Zoro scared Sanji half to death when he jerked away and cried his name out in pain and had to be forced to floor.

"Come on!" The cook hissed as he pinned Zoro's wrists above him, who flinched as a hand pushed against his chest.

_"Sanji!"_ The man went limp in the cook's grasp. Sanji rushed to remove his weight off of Zoro, releasing his hands and getting his coat on as fast as possible.

_He wasn't this bad earlier. Shit, shit, shit!_ When the door was, yet again, forced open, the landscape was void of any color except for white and grey.

_At least the shitty storm is over. Gotta get him moving to town. Need to go east, that's where Nami-san said they were headed. _Heaving Zoro onto his back again, Sanji took off once more.

Obliterating fallen trees as best he could with a passenger, the cook loped across the deep snow before it could absorb him. Before he knew it, Sanji was having a very painful flashback to Drum Island, which was almost impossible to shake off.

"I really hate winter islands." The cook muttered as he slid across a patch of ice. Unfortunately, the ice was much more slippery than he anticipated it to be, and smashed his face in when he slipped forward.

"I really _hate_ these fucking shitty, retarded winter islands!" The blonde growled as his nose bled. Carefully, Sanji stood up and used momentum to skate across the ice. Zoro whimpered in pain in Sanji's ear.

"Please hold on a bit longer. We'll be with the others soon, and Chopper will fix you up and you'll be fine." The cook was actually reassuring himself, fearing that Zoro's fever and whatever the Hell else was wrong with him would kill him long before they reached the reindeer physician.

_Please, let my luck be a little _less_ shitty today! _Sanji didn't know to whom he was praying to, but he needed a miracle. The last thing he wanted to be hauling on his back was a dead body, especially his lover's.

The cook winced at the thought, but couldn't shut it out.

When the cook came across endless, drift-coated tundra, he wanted to kill himself.

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, WHO APPARENTLY HATES ME, WHY DOES _TODAY_ OF _ALL DAYS_ HAVE TO FILLED WITH SO MUCH FUCKING, DAMN, RETARDED SHIT?" Sanji screamed so loudly that Zoro almost fully entered consciousness.

"Ngggh…Sanji?" He slurred.

"Shhh, it's okay. Just sleep."

"Grrgh…" he passed out yet again. Sanji began to sprint as fast he could, barely leaving footprints in the soft powder. Faster, faster, _faster!_ He was as close to a blur as he would ever be in his life. Regrettably, Sanji's speed was a vulnerability he didn't count on. That and the pockets of air beneath the now ice-encrusted snow.

He slammed his foot into one at a breakneck speed, and as the rest of the blonde's body kept moving, Sanji's left tibia and fibula snapped cleanly, causing near pure agony.

"AARRGH!" He fell forward and tumbled over and over, knocking Zoro from his steel grip. When he stopped bouncing, Sanji crawled to him, muttering repeatedly that he was sorry. Zoro didn't move at all.

"Zoro…oi…" Sanji nudged him in the side, which brought on a twitch. "Thank God…owwww." The cook had been in worse pain, but the sudden shock of it really got him, and he couldn't even wiggle his toes.

"Why…? For the love of shit…" Sanji groaned as he attempted to stand.

_No._ He steeled himself. _None of this prissy shit. It's just a break; you've been through far worse, you shitty pussy. Zoro needs help, and even the Shitty Geezer would be disappointed with you._ Sanji stood, putting his full weight on his bad leg. Poising Zoro on his back, the blonde continued on at a medium-speed pace.

Not much later, everything just below his left knee was numb and tingly, but Sanji treaded carefully, ignoring it as he would Usopp or Luffy.

_Luffy…_ _What was the last thing I said to him? No! You shitty idiot, the last thing that's going to happen is you dying! Focus! Just. Walk._

But Sanji was too damn exhausted.

"No!" Sanji cried aloud, "I have to get him to Chopper!"

Snow began to fall again. The edge of the tundra was in sight.

But Sanji was too damn exhausted.

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><p>Ahahahahahahaha! Super cliff! Take a guess on what happens, I dare ya!<p>

Sanji's luck really does suck, does it not?

I wrote all of this chapter on Saturday...I need a healthy social life...badly. Please review!

Fishy-Neko-Fangirl


	4. Chapter 4

Frostbite, Chapter 4

**Before that, I would like to thank ALL of my reviewers and readers. I'm also sorry for the update being so late, I had a busy week.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>It wasn't that Nami didn't care about her nakama, not at all. It was that it was so cold outside in the woods, her coat had frosted over in some places.<p>

Therefore, she was going to bitch and moan throughout the entire search for them.

"Oh~! It's so cold~!" She pouted as she trudged along the path.

"Who are you complaining to?" Usopp scolded her as the trees dropped more snow on them. "It's not like Sanji's here to cater to your every whim. For all we know, he and Zoro could be dead somewhere," he turned and faced her. "Frozen to the core, beyond help!"

"Shut up!" Nami punched Usopp into a tree, "don't say crap like that! They're fine, so don't try to guilt-trip me with lies!"

At least they were doing better than Luffy and Chopper, who were, mistakenly, paired together.

"Wow! Chopper, look at this!" Luffy stopped walking and pointed at the nearing cliff. On it's side were frozen bird nests, _eggs and all._

"Luffy! Those poor things are dead from the cold. They have to be!" Chopper realized what he said a moment later. "L-Luffy…do…do you think Sanji and Zoro are okay? No matter what I try, I can't shake the feeling that they're in trouble."

"Don't worry," Luffy squatted to meet his eyes, "our nakama can't die here."

"What makes you so sure?" Chopper whispered, shaking. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes, and his lower lip trembled. Luffy smiled at the doctor, who grabbed his torn coat and cried. "Th-Thank you, L…Luffy."

They made zero progress, unlike Robin and their new friends.

"Tell me, Robin-san," Roxi began, "who exactly are we looking for? What do they look like, I mean."

"Hmm…well, Swordsman-san has green hair, and is wearing a long, dark blue-green coat. Cook-san has blonde hair, a swirl in his visible eyebrow, and is in a black coat." Robin smiled and looked to her left, gazing at the white-grey sea.

"Swordsman-san is very stubborn, and has no sense of direction. He and Cook-san fight over the littlest things, so destruction is what we are looking for," out-of-the-blue, she frowned. "Swordsman-san did seem off when I last saw him, though."

"Oh, really? How so?" Mox butted in, earning a glare from his sister.

"He did not try to argue at all. Almost anything Cook-san does sets him off." Mox stopped abruptly.

"Which way did they take, exactly? Your navigator said that you came from the south side. Was it a labeled trail or something else?"

"The former. Our captain found a sign with a large, pink, dotted-line circle on it," the sibling's eyes' widened to about the size of Luffy's stomach after a feast.

_"WHAT?"_ The two asked in perfect unison. Robin actually began to feel uneasy after being in such a creepy gaze for so long.

"Is there something wrong with the trail they took?"

"HELL, YES!" Roxi screeched as Mox looked at Robin like she said that Zoro and Sanji weren't their allies. (A/N: a 'you're telling me this _now?'_ look) "We need to head to the mountain _right now! _They might be alive if they're as strong as you said, but we have to meet them there."

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Robin was lost in transaction.

"Well," Mox took over, "the trail your friends took was _not_ the right one, for starters. It goes through a dense forest, a high, an ice-coated mountain ridge, and a giant tundra. Also, the temperature drops even lower around and on the mountain. But, there is a rescue cabin along the way, so there's a possibility that they haven't frozen or exhausted to death. The point is, only _natives_ can survive that way around the island without _fatal_ injury."

Robin knew better than to have that much faith in Zoro and Sanji.

"Captain-san and Doctor-san are the closest to the mountain, but Navigator-san and Long Nose-kun should be at the edge of the forest. By this time, they should be the closest." Mox and Roxi nodded and took off, Robin in tow.

_Swordsman-san, Cook-san… _

* * *

><p><em>That's funny…my leg doesn't hurt… I coulda sworn that it was freezing out…but…it's not… Why is that?<em> The world was perpetual darkness to Sanji, and he liked it that way. _Nami-san… Robin-chan…_ The only side effect of the shadow land was that thoughts came _so slowly!_ One really hit the cook when it came.

_Zoro!_

Sanji shot out into the painfully strong light at warp speed, making him gasp weakly.

"Zoro… Where the fuck are you?" Sanji slowly brought his arms up to rub the snow out of his eyes.

_Snow… _It took the blonde a moment to register what exactly had happened. _I think I passed out at the edge of the field. _He sat up on his knees, wincing at the pain in his leg.

"Hmm…" the gears Sanji's head turned faster. "Holy shit! What the Hell happened?" He noticed the deep slashes in his coat, some reaching and cutting his skin. The sheet-bag full of food he had made was in tatters next to him.

"Animals… Zoro!" Zoro had been pushed off his back next to him and was perfectly still. "Dear God… Zoro! C'mon, say something!" Sanji pulled him into his arms and shook him lightly.

"Nnnngh… Ssn…jee…" the cook thanked God, but soon observed that Zoro's covering was in worse shape than his own. It was almost only sleeves and bits of wool, sticky in the deep, bloody cuts on his back.

"Shitty animals…" he cursed. "You'll die if you're exposed too much," Sanji slipped off his warm sheathing and put it on Zoro, leaving him in just his dress shirt and tie.

_My body temperature must be lowering, since I don't feel the cold anymore. Oh, well. Nothing to do about that now_ _but get to the others. _The cook had lost track of time and was following his instincts, but was _not_ about to die on a goddamn frozen island. For the umpteenth time, Sanji ran away with Zoro in a careful piggyback. Trees soon entered his vision, dark green and white.

"Must be getting closer. Chopper is just beyond that forest," his stomach growled. "Not now. Poor Zoro must be starving, the last thing I gave him was hot water." Sanji noticed the sick irony of the moment.

_We came to this island to replace the food those hogs ate. If Nami-san would just budget enough for a shitty lock on the fridge… No, if Luffy didn't eat every bite of meat and allow the others to think it's okay to steal food. Damn, now's not the time to point fingers, now is the time to get Shitty-Marimo to Chopper, and then figure out new ways to torture him._

Speaking of Zoro, what was going on in his head at the time?

_"Sanji…" Zoro purred to his lover as they curled up in the Going Merry's crow's nest. However, there was no response._

"_Sanji," he nudged him. The cook's head lolled onto Zoro's shoulder, eyes cloudy with matured death. His skin was frosty to the touch, and Zoro noticed the blood spatter on Sanji's dinner jacket and around his mouth._

"_Sanji!" The swordsman pushed the blonde off onto the base of the wooden basket and crouched over him. "Oh, God. Shit, no. This isn't happening. THIS ISN'T HAPPENING!"_ _Zoro cried out like a wounded animal._

"_You're wrong, Marimo. It is," Sanji's corpse spoke, his gore-coated lips flaking dried blood. He smiled, sadistic and chilling. He grabbed Zoro's wrists and flipped over, straddling the green-haired man at the waist._

"_You let me die," Sanji sneered and pulled his wrists higher, "and you _didn't care_. You just kept walking, as if me screaming in pain wasn't your concern." He pulled Zoro's wrists further above him and he could feel his shoulders preparing to burst out of their sockets._

"_Sa…Sanji… You know I…would never…do that!" Speaking was incredibly difficult, as though a hand was pinching his vocal chords. Turns out, Sanji's was doing just that._

"_Yeah, right. If that's true, _why am I dead?_" Sanji's hand tightened, and Zoro saw stars. A sickening pop rang into the swordsman's ears as his shoulders dislocated._

_A gurgle replaced Zoro's cry in pain, and both hands wrapped around his neck. Breathing was impossible. The world darkened as it stopped altogether. _

"_Goodbye, Marimo. See you in Hell, you shitty bastard," was the last thing Zoro heard as he-_

Zoro gasped aloud and startled Sanji, who stumbled on his frostbitten feet.

"I'd say it's time for a little break," the exhausted cook muttered as he stooped under an evergreen tree. There was a surprisingly large amount of space under the branches, which curved sharply just above Sanji's head, forming a roof. The ground was free of snow and had a pine-needle floor.

"Weird. It's not really cold here… Shit, my body temperature must be lowering," the blonde moved Zoro onto the ground, catching a glance at his face. Still stained bright red and sweaty. "Hope you don't mind, Marimo," Sanji moved closer to him, "but your sharing some of this toasty body heat with me."

The cook snuggled in close, glad to feel warmth on his hands, which were shoved up the back of his coat. It felt nice…too bad he couldn't just stay like that way forever…so close to Zoro.

" So sleepy… Guess it can't hurt to take a little nap…" Sanji murmured as he nuzzled Zoro's face with his own, smiling lightly. He closed his eyes; glad to be able to rest before he took off again.

If he ever woke up.

* * *

><p>"SANJI~!" Luffy screamed out to the edge of the forest he walked by, "ZORO~!" The groups had reunited and fanned out around and in the forest since they actually had a clue about the missing ones' location.<p>

"Luffy-san, screaming for them might cause an avalanche, so be careful." Roxi ordered as she, Luffy, and Chopper scouted the tree line.

"Okay," the word 'avalanche' distressed the captain, so he ceased and desisted. Chopper stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide.

"What is it, Chopper-san?" The native girl inquired, bending to meet the reindeer's eyes.

"I think I have their scent, but I'm not sure," he sniffed the air to be sure. "No, I'm sure of it."

"Yosh! I'll alert the others!" Luffy fired his fist into the air and shot one of Usopp's signal stars, causing a massive red flash. Nami, Usopp, Robin, and Mox all looked in its direction and ran from their separate locations towards it.

"Luffy! Did you find them?" Usopp yelled as they arrived.

"No, but Chopper's found their scent. Lead the way, Chopper!" The captain answered as he nodded to the chibi doctor. Chopper promptly took off in his Speed Point, nose buried in the snow.

"This way! It's pretty faint, but I have it!" Blood soon entered the mix of steel-and-cigarettes in Chopper's olfactory organs, which worried him. The nakama ran into the trees, hopes soaring to the peak of the mountain. A large coniferous took up quite a bit of land, and it was no surprise that Chopper sprinted under it.

What was waiting for the remaining Strawhat Pirates was a _real_ surprise, though.

"ZORO! SANJI!" Luffy and Usopp screeched in unison, with no response. Stunned silence fell around them, so much so that it was palpable. Nami reacted first.

"Chopper! Help them!" She barked.

"R-Right!" Chopper scampered over to the unconscious forms of Zoro and Sanji. "From what I can tell," he started, prying them apart, "Sanji is suffering from hypothermia and deep cuts. Zoro is…really sick. We need to move them immediately, or they'll die," turning to his Heavy Point, he plucked them up and cradled them.

"The quickest way is to directly backtrack. We should make it in time," Mox stated and lead the way back to Mushi-Mushi. Sanji panted as the doctor's body heat brought him to normal temperature. Zoro, on the other hand, didn't get better at all.

_Are they going to make it? _The entire crew wondered as they rushed to safety.

**Okay, how is it so far? Sorry if it seems a little redundant, but I'm still new to fanfiction.**

**By the way, when I'm done with this, I might write a bunch of drabbles or an mpreg. Which do you think I should do?**

**Please review!**

**Fishy-Neko-Fangirl**


	5. Chapter 5

Frostbite Ch. 5

**Woohoo! Next day update! Oh, and IT'S MADE UP WORD TIME!**

**Enjoy!**

The Strawhat Pirates were formidable foes to say the least, especially their infamous "Monster Trio." Blackleg Sanji, Monkey D. Luffy, and Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro all had inhuman abilities and were all too happy to prove it. Abilities aside, they _were _still men and were susceptible to injury and pain.

Usually, all the pain and injury were their own faults', but they recovered quickly with no permanent damage. But, with everything else in the world, there were exceptions to the rules.

This unfortunate situation was one of those exceptions.

"Chopper-san! This way!" Roxi motioned with her hand at a fork in a road. The doctor was in his human form and had very precious cargo in his arms - the unconscious forms of Zoro and Sanji, both in terrible shape and barely holding on.

"Tell me, will they be okay?" Usopp ran next to Chopper, worry obvious on his face, but still deadly serious. Chopper stared ahead for a moment, torn between honesty and reassurance.

"It depends on whether we can get them back in time. So far, all I can tell is that Zoro has a fever that's been in the danger zone for some time. Sanji's got hypothermia, without a doubt, and some deep cuts. His leg may be broken as well, judging from the way it's bending," Usopp noticed the off shape of the appendage and cringed.

"I'm not going to argue with you on that. It looks pretty bad."

"We're almost there! Mushi-Mushi is within sight!" Mox called back to the Strawhats, who quickened their pace. The small, white town came onto the horizon, looming over the sharp sea cliff. A mad dash ensued, snow sticking harder to everyone's faces in a powdery layer. Despite the pants of exhaustion when the group entered the town, no one slowed down, to concerned for Zoro and Sanji.

"Made it!" Nami cried as Roxi almost knocked the front door down in her haste. Chopper had to slouch over a fraction to accommodate his height in the low ceilinged hallway,

"Take them this way, into the living room. That way you can treat them simultaneously," Mox stated as the reindeer followed him into the front room. The siblings helped Chopper lay Zoro and Sanji out on the pair of futons, moved the coffee table off to the side, and prepared to receive orders. The rest of the Strawhats were shaken out of their stunned trance of awe when the doctor barked his orders.

"Robin, you and Mox go to the Merry and get my medical bag. Roxi, do you have a large tub? I need to cool Zoro off," she nodded. "Good. Bring it here, along with towels, blankets, and heaters, and fill it with snow. Can you handle that?"

"Of course, Chopper-san," the reindeer had since returned to normal size.

"Perfect. Take Usopp and Luffy for help if you need them." Roxi grabbed the boys and headed for the back of the house. Mox and Robin were long gone, but the problems weren't. Nami decided to step into the fray.

"What can I do?" Sanji began to shiver violently, distressing the carrot-topped woman

"Help me get their clothes off," the doctor tugged at Zoro's (actually Sanji's) coat, ignoring Nami's squeal in protest. However, she kneeled down and unlaced Zoro's boots as Chopper moved over to Sanji, who was starting to make noise.

"Got the stuff!" Usopp declared as he and Luffy carried an outdoor bath, loaded with snow. Roxi stepped in front of them and laid a ragged towel over the hardwood floor. She then moved over to he cook and buried him in comforters and thermal blankets.

"Okay, Luffy and Usopp, put Zoro in the tub, but _be careful._" The raven and the liar lifted the near-bare Zoro by his shoulders and knees and slipped him into the icy metal bin. The moss head shuddered as the melting snow touched his skin but did not awaken. Unfortunately, Zoro was a tad tall for the container, and his knees bent over the rim, head resting on a pile of snow. At that moment, Robin and Mox returned, sweating in their heavy snowsuits.

"Here you go, Doctor-san," Robin said as she handed Chopper his case, composure intact, unlike Mox, who dry heaved.

"Thank you, Robin," the doctor opened the medical bag and fished out a thermometer, which he shoved in Zoro's mouth. Luffy being Luffy, a stupid question was asked.

"Hey, Chopper, why the Hell is Zoro in just his underwear? And why _is_ he in a bathtub full of snow?" Nami smacked him in the head as Roxi noticed the exposed scars and chiseled muscle that made up Zoro's body. Her face flushed as red as the swordsman's, whose temperature was finally taken.

"Well, Luffy," Chopper answered, "he has a fever of 106 degrees, which we need to bring down. Therefore, his body must be exposed to cooler temperatures, and nobody likes wet clothes, so he's in his undies." (A/N: Hell yeah, undies! XD) Chopper sterilized the thermometer, placed it in Sanji's mouth, and began to dig him out from the blankets. Robin materialized several arms along the futon to support the cook as Chopper cleaned and bound the cuts on his back.

"Thanks again. Let's see…" the glass tube was slid out of Sanji's mouth and Chopper stared at it for a moment. "Well, it's a little too low for my liking, but he should warm back soon."

"Chopper, Zoro's got some cuts on his back, too. Eww, the blood's congealing," Usopp pointed out as Chopper rushed over and pulled him from the snow, repeating the process of cleaning and bandaging. With nothing to do, the siblings offered seats and tea.

"I can't believe that Zoro is _this_ sick. The slash he got from Mihawk gave him a fever, but he looks worse than Nami did on Drum Island." Usopp stated as he fingered his cup, glancing from the kitchen to the makeshift hospital across the hall. Luffy had calmed down considerably, and was quietly sipping his tea as Chopper set Sanji's leg. Nami cringed as she heard Sanji cry out in pain after the barely audible scrape/click noise.

"Okay, guys. I've managed to get Zoro around 103 degrees, and Sanji's pretty much back to normal. Anywhere we can put them that's not a futon?" Chopper asked as he toddled into the dining room.

"Sure, we've got two rooms left. Take your pick; a king or two separate ones," Mox unknowingly teased the crew. Their relationship wasn't really a secret to the girls, but Robin played it off perfectly.

"Since we are not entirely sure of Swordsman-san's diagnosis, it would be best to keep them in separate beds."

"In fact," Nami laughed, "tie them down in separate rooms. The minute they're feeling better, they'll try to kill each other." Roxi seemed rather confused, but decided against vocalizing.

_Did they _see_ the way Sanji-san was cuddled against Zoro-san? Even if they're not in love, that cute move probably saved both of their lives._ She then whacked her brother in the back of the head.

"What the Hell was that for?" Mox yelled, clutching the throbbing point on his skull.

"Help. Them." She growled. It had been some time since Roxi had been violent with Mox, so he rushed to be of service. Zoro and Sanji were laid out on blankets and carried up the steps, stretcher-style. Mox and Luffy took Zoro; Usopp and Robin took Sanji.

"So, what's wrong with Zoro? Does he have some freaky, contagious disease?" Nami questioned as she opened the door to the final bedroom in the hallway, making way for the others.

"Well," Chopper propped Sanji's leg up on a pillow, "I'm still not entirely sure. It doesn't appear as though Sanji has contracted it, so it's likely to be in a non-contagious form. Right now, my best guess is twarze."

"Twarze, Doctor-san? Are you sure of it?" Robin cut in, tucking Zoro into bed and preparing wet towels for later.

"Well, it's still in the early stages, but it's the most logical answer." Everyone but the historian and the doctor were lost.

"Sorry, but what the Hell is _twarze? _I'm confused," Usopp inquired. Robin made one of her classic 'random, gross fact time' smiles.

"Would you like to explain, Doctor-san, or should I?" Chopper nodded and took over with the explanation.

"Twarze is a rare, deadly virus that-"

"DEADLY VIRUS?"Usopp shrieked. "Okay, everyone out of the room, these two are in quarantine!" Somehow, the sniper had made a full-body sterile-suit materialize around himself, and attempted to push his nakama out the door.

"Usopp, you jackass! Let Chopper finish!" Nami punched him in the face, irked. "Please continue."

"Were was I? Oh, it's a rare virus that has two stages. Zoro's in the middle of the second, which is a high fever. The first stage is fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, symptoms that can be mistaken for a particularly nasty cold. The kicker is that even the healthiest people can get twarze, but because of the way it's spread and how long the incubation takes, it stays uncommon."

"How's it spread, anyhow?" Luffy asked, worried.

"The ingestion of infected blood." Everyone was confused by this, then realized how easily that could happen to Zoro. Well, except for Roxi and Mox, who were simply grossed-out.

"He _ate_ someone's _blood?" _The siblings cried. The Strawhats just shrugged. "Eww…"

"Zoro doesn't drink blood or anything. We got into a crazy fight with some Marines on the last island we were on, and someone's blood must've gotten into his mouth." Nami explained.

"Oi! I'm not done!" Chopper hollered.

"Sorry…" the crew apologized.

"Good. The thing that makes twarze so dangerous is that the fever will continue to climb until it's fatal. It has to be kept down until a very complicated medicine is administered. I have some things that can be used in the medicine, but I'll need more ingredients. Is there a medical shop or supplier on this island?"

"Of course. However, it's closed until tomorrow," Roxi answered. "We can take turns watching them until they wake up or you get the medicine. Sound like a plan?"

"Sure. But, I'm not quite done with them just yet. Can you get me a bowl of snow?" Roxi nodded and sent Mox out to fetch it.

"Well, it's getting late. Who wants dinner?" Roxi offered.

"Yosh! I do! More of that snow beef stuff!" Nami always relaxed when Luffy was back to his old, hyperactive self. As the group filed out of the bedroom and trampled downstairs, Robin stayed behind and helped Chopper.

"Doctor-san, are you sure that it is twarze?" Robin inquired as she knelt down to wipe the sweat off Zoro's face.

"What else could bring Zoro down this hard? When Sanji wakes up, we'll ask what happened. He's exhausted so he'll wake up around early morning or noon tomorrow." Chopper pulled himself onto the corner of Sanji's bed, hooves not even hanging over the edge.

"Cook-san injured himself and still helped Swordsman-san in the storm. Can you tell when he broke his leg?" Robin stood up from the floor but waited for her answer before she left for dinner. Mox then appeared in the doorway, snow in arms.

"He walked on it for some time, but that's all I can tell," Robin smiled and left. Mox placed his towel-wrapped bowl on the nightstand.

"Thank you, Mox," the chibi doctor dropped off the bed and began to work again.

"Your welcome. I'll bring your dinner up here when it's ready." Chopper nodded, focused deeply on his work.

_Wow… What a strange fellow. Have to remember, I live on the Grand Line! Anything is possible, even animal doctor. _The young man smiled at the thought and leaped down the steps, preparing for a battle. He may have known the Strawhats for only a day or so, but he knew their captain was a monster eater. _Where's that spiked flail…_

* * *

><p><em>It's so warm…and soft… I can't still be outside, can I? Oh, well…it's not important… I like it here. It feels safe... Where's Shitty-Marimo? He's probably here, too. Good… If I'm dead, then I've gone to Heaven, and I don't care. <em>Sanji thought as he drifted in between consciousness and sleep. Everything _was_ soft and warm, and had a calm, light-golden glow. When he tried to move, his body hurt, so he just stayed still. His eyes felt like lead and remained closed as they had been, but the world around Sanji stayed the same. He fell asleep again, but returned in what felt like minutes, feeling energized.

_Damn… It's so peaceful here… But, I can't stay forever. Time to go. _The cook forced his now lighter eyes to open, taking in the light. Sanji lay in an unfamiliar bed, with unfamiliar clothes, all in a _very_ unfamiliar room.

To top it all off, Zoro was to his right, still out of it, and between them, sitting in a chair and dozing, was a total stranger.

A pretty girl, yeah, but still a complete stranger.

So one thing led to the next, and Sanji freaked the Hell out.

**Mwahahaha! Fifth chapter!**

**About the whole_ twarze_ thing, I just figured that no REAL disease would hurt Zoro enough for my liking, so I just made one up. Don't ask why I named it that, it was the result of staring at my keyboard for several minutes. I kinda struggled with how it's spread. If it was by just blood alone, Sanji might get it, or if by body fluids. I want to spice this story up, but as I said before**

**NO SMUT!**

**So, I just went with a combination of the two. By the way, only one person answered my question. I WANT A SECOND OPINION!**

**Please review!**

**Fishy-Neko-Fangirl **


	6. Chapter 6

**Frostbite Chapter 6**

**Okay, people, I'm pissed at myself for taking so damn long again, but I had another shit week. That and I'm now the new best friend and 'adoptive' older sibling to a local 7-year-old. Anyway, some personal 'thank you's and stuff:**

**HappyMe-O: Thank you for always reviewing and answering! Your vote has been taken! **

**preisempf: Thank you for answering and reviewing!**

**holic: Jeez! Get a grip, for crying out loud! It's just another freaky thing about FanFiction! Ya never know what the Hell you'll find! Besides me being a total ass, I'm thanking you for leaving the longest review so far. _Schwarzenegger? That scares me..._ Anywho, I'm glad you were honest and that you think it's good.**

**Bubbles1802: Yeah, but normal people also get weak and whiny. Mwahahahaha! Oh, and Sanji would get knocked up. ^~^**

**cy-grl: Your reviews bring warmth to my icy heart. I truly hope it gets better with this one. **

**Next chapter! Enjoy! **

Sanji began to hyperventilate, his pulse racing. Yes, the attractive blonde had caught his interest; her hair flowed down her back in golden ringlets and her skin was a shade lighter than Zoro's. Very sexy, to say the least. But, he had no idea who she was _and_ she had been in the same room as Sanji and Zoro while they were asleep. The cook tried to crane his neck over to sneak a peek at his green-haired lover, who was sleeping soundly, but looked like total crap.

"Miss…?" Sanji said as he sat up, Roxi's eyes snapping open. She stared at him for a fraction of a second, and then gave a warm, comforting smile.

"Oh, you're awake. Good. Are you in any pain? Hungry? Thirsty?" She seemed genuinely concerned, but Sanji's heart continued to flutter, struggling to control his breathing. Her emerald eyes wide and motherly, she stood over him.

"Uh, no," he lied. Sanji tried to stand out of bed, but she pushed him back down, not helping his panic attack in the slightest. "May I ask your name?" he asked, voice shaking terribly.

"Roxi. Your nakama, Chopper-san, told me to not let you leave this bed. Sanji, I presume?" the cook visibly relaxed, soothed by the fact that his friends were nearby and safe.

"Yes… What happened? How did I get here?" Sanji begged as he lay back down. He may have calmed down about Roxi, but his anxiety was starting to build back up again. All she did was smile, glowing with relief and joy.

"As soon as you've eaten and rested a bit more, your friends will explain everything. I'll be back in a minute with your supper and Chopper-san."

"But, I'm not hungry," a growl from his belly betrayed Sanji. He internally scolded himself for being so rude and refusing a pretty woman's hospitality. Roxi just chuckled.

"Of course you're not. Feeling nervous about Zoro-san?"

"Yeah, a little bit." _Holy shit, she can read my mind._ Roxi patted Sanji's shoulder and walked out the door, leaving the cook to his thoughts and Zoro.

"Jeez, Zoro. You probably feel like shit. Can't believe that happened," Sanji muttered, eyeing the growth in the blanket where his foot belonged. Since he was alone, aside from his snoozing roomie, he decided to take in his surroundings. The cook was in simple flannel pants that weren't his own, and the room he was in had soft yellow walls and thick carpeting. Small, but not cramped, and a four-foot gap separated the two beds. A basin of iced water sat on the nightstand in place of a lamp, which sat on the floor in the far corner.

Wound sealers and thin bandages patched up Sanji's back and wrapped around his front, which he traced with his hand. Not being one to go against a lady's orders, the cook stay down in bed. However, he did push the covers off to the side to get a better look at his legs. A cast sheathed his left leg from the knee down, even past his toes.

_Damn. This'll take some time to adjust to, since I haven't broken my leg in ages. It's bad enough I broke my leg, but it's just shit that it was from _tripping_. _Sanji leaned onto his side to get a better look at Zoro, who, for once, was sleeping silently. The swordsman was tucked into the bed to his neck and had a wet towel across his forehead. His normal tan was pasty, but his face also carried a crimson stain along his nose and cheeks. Sanji stared at Zoro for what felt like forever, but Roxi rapped on the door, pulling him back into the bed.

"Here you are, Sanji-san," Roxi said as she sat a tray over his lap. The dish had an unfamiliar type of soup, large crackers, and a mug of tea on it. It took a few tries to balance it properly, for Sanji's leg was elevated on a pillow.

"Thank you very much, Roxi-chan," Sanji bowed his head in thanks and tucked in, quickly downing what he guessed to be some sort of stew. When he was finished, the cook felt the odd sensation that he was missing something important. Sanji cupped his mouth reflexively, expecting to grab a cigarette.

_Oh, yeah. Where're my smokes?_

"Is something wrong, Sanji-san?" Roxi asked as Sanji sighed in defeat, knowing his cancer sticks were M.I.A.

"I can't find my cigarettes. Have you seen them, Roxi-chan?" the cook could feel his hand twitch with anxiety. The girl gave him a sly look. Before she could answer, however, Chopper busted through the door, brandishing his medical case.

"_Checkup time!"_ Chopper sang as Sanji groaned dramatically. Roxi giggled when he flashed her a playful grin, showing that he would be fine. The furry doctor hopped over to his nakama, drawing various instruments out of his bag as he went. Sanji barely had time to react before a thermometer was shoved in his mouth.

"Wha 'ives 'Opper?" Sanji forced around the cylinder under his tongue. No response, but a cold stethoscope kissed his chest through the gauze strips. "Mmmphh!" Roxi snickered at Sanji's facial expression: childish distress. The cook blushed and pouted until Chopper took the tube out of his mouth.

"Why must you embarrass me in front of a lady?" he hissed. "And what's going on? How did I get here in the first place?" Chopper ignored him easily, too intent on measuring Sanji's blood pressure. He let it drag on until Chopper spoke.

"Turn around. I need to see how the cuts on your back are healing," for some reason, Sanji complied. After Chopper changed the blond's bandages, Sanji turned on him.

"Seriously. What's. Going. On? I fall asleep under a tree and I wake up in here! Wait…" the flush on his face deepened. "Did you see me…?" he trailed. Roxi gave nod, red herself, but grinned like a child given her favorite candy. "Oh, shit. I swear, I was just trying to cool the stupid Marimo down!"

"If you want to know what's going on, we'll tell you. But, we need to know about what happened to you while you were out there. Sound fair?" Roxi bargained. Sanji nodded, not meeting her eyes.

Before they knew it, everyone was on the same page, but Sanji decided to censor the details about stripping and dressing Zoro.

"So, now that you know of our marvelous misadventure, may I _please_ go out and have a smoke? I can't stay in bed all day; it's the Marimo who's sick!" Chopper shrugged and motioned towards the door. "Thank you!" Sanji shot out of bed, only to stumble back into it, thrown off balance by his cast and still weak.

"Want some help, Sanji-san?" Roxi offered her arm out, which the Ero-Cook took with joy, his eye a massive heart.

"Ah, you're far to kind, Roxi-chan!" Sanji cried as she snaked her arm around his waist and tugged his around her shoulder. The male blond hiked his heavier leg up and the duo teetered down the narrow hall as Chopper tended to Zoro.

_His fever is still at 103. Good… The medicine should be ready by tomorrow, but I'm worried that we may have to leave before he's fully recovered. Only time will tell… _Taking a fresh towel to the green-haired man's forehead, the reindeer was spooked when Zoro jerked in his sleep and gasped sharply. His eyes flitted open for a fraction of a second, then were forced shut as though he was in pain.

"Oh, Zoro. I'm so sorry this happened to you," Chopper whispered as Zoro sighed in his sleep. His lips cracked open and the doctor struggled to make out the words.

"Sanji...I'm…sorry…" he didn't know why, but Chopper felt his eyes tear up. He brushed them out and continued his work, but the feeling of pity and fear still lingered about.

Meanwhile, Sanji and Roxi had made it downstairs without incident, if you don't count Roxi "accidentally" slipping and squeezing Sanji's ass. The poor man almost had a heart attack at the concept of a pervert-_woman_. Fortunately for Sanji, Usopp appeared and saved him from further molestation.

"Sanji! Holy crap, you're awake!" the marksman cried and all but glomped down on the blond cook.

"Whoa! Down boy!" Sanji barked as his foot thoroughly smothered Usopp's face. He teetered on his cast and caught himself on the railing, making sure to twist his leg a bit as he disengaged it from a rather bloody mug.

"Someone's in bad mood," Usopp slurred with blood leaking into his mouth. Sanji flashed him a death-glare and limped into the living room where he had been treated just the night before.

"Oh, hello, Cook-san. I trust that you are feeling well?" Robin greeted Sanji with a calm smile. She was curled up in an easy chair with a small stack of books next to her. In an instant, the cook snapped into ero-mode and a big, pink heart swapped places with his visible eye.

"Greetings, Robin-chwan~! I'm feeling a thousand times better, thanks to you, Nami-swan, and Roxi-chwan! I shall repay you all in any way you want! Preferably with my body…" he muttered the last part at an audible, but soft, level. Just enough for them to hear, but he received no reaction.

"Sanji-kun! You shouldn't be on your feet so much! Chopper said that you should be resting, so just lie down," Nami ordered. Sanji whipped around to her and began to whimper "mellorine" like a puppy in heat. (A/N: WTF?) He stopped when hands grabbed his waist and shoulders, pulling him onto a dark red futon.

"Robin-chwan, why so rough? I'm fine, and it's _my_ job to care for _you_," the three women stood over him, still held to the sofa by the assassin's disembodied hands. Roxi leaned in close, waving a package of his favorite cigarettes in front of him.

"I went out and bought these, just for you, Sanji-kun," Nami smiled evilly. "They're yours if you do as we say. All we ask is that you take it easy until you're all better…and tell us what's going on between you and Zoro." Sanji flushed and struggled to answer.

"N-Nami-san, wh-what makes you th-think there's anything going on? I just helped the stupid Marimo get back here; I wasn't going to let my nakama die out in the snow!" Roxi smirked, leaning in closer and pressing their foreheads together softly. Sanji flinched and accidentally made an uke face. Realizing the horrifying mistake he had made, he lay there open-mouthed, eyes bugging-out.

"I did not expect Cook-san to be capable of such a vulnerable visage. It is quite likely that Swordsman-san is the dominant one in the relationship, considering the possibilities." Sanji appeared to have suffered a massive stroke from the sheer embarrassment the girls were putting him through.

"P-P-Possibilities? What on Earth are you talking about, Robin-chan? It's _im_possible for anything to happen between Marimo and me!" Roxi sighed, about to call his bluff.

"Marimo? When I was speaking to you earlier, you called him by his name. You said you were worried about him," she sighed again. "I guess you don't want to have a smoke. Nami-san went out of her way to get your preferred brand," Roxi stood up straight and rubbed her head in false defeat.

"I guess he's to much of a coward to be honest," Nami chided as she followed Roxi's league.

"Perhaps Swordsman-san is abusive with Cook-san, and he will harm Cook-san if he tells us the truth. What a pity. I anticipated a relationship very different from this; they are violent with one another in front of us." Robin stated, ignoring Sanji's choked words of protest. The dark-skinned arms around the cook's body remained tight; escape was out of the question for him. Roxi noticed the pained, embarrassed expression plastered on Sanji's face and felt herself becoming… Turned on?

_That's ridiculous! He's just a visitor! Hell, he's gay and his boyfriend's asleep upstairs… I wonder how their relationship is, if they're in one. Maybe he's just scared that Nami-san and Robin-san will think of him differently._ She turned to Robin and Nami.

"What is it, Roxi-san?" Nami asked as she dropped the pack of smokes next to Sanji's face.

"We all know the truth, so why are we harassing the guy? Besides, you don't yet know what happened to them. I bet if you let him go, Sanji-san will tell you that much," Robin shrugged and lowered her arms, simultaneously releasing their captive.

"Guiwls awre soooo scawy~!" Sanji made a face with exaggerated rivers if tears streaming down it. His childish lisp was lost on the females, while Luffy, Usopp, and Mox were cracking up in the kitchen. "Shadap, you bastards! Shit…" he muttered, even more red.

"So you're Sanji…nice to meet you. My name's Mox. I see you've already been tortured by my sister," Mox said as he walked into the room. He held his hand out, the other jammed in his pocket, which Sanji shook.

_Hmm… They really are siblings. I'd call them twins if Roxi-chan wasn't obviously older._ Sanji sized the younger man, who had cropped blond hair and eyes like his sister. He was a few inches taller than Luffy, and had a slightly less mischievous grin on his face.

"Right back at ya. So, anyone care for a story, or would you three prefer a beating?" Sanji asked as Mox propped his leg up on a pillow. The boys shook their heads fervently, not wanting to be ground to a paste by the cook's dress shoe.

"Yes, please tell us what happened, Cook-san," Sanji nodded as he lit up a smoke, all without sitting up. He found a more comfortable position on his side and repeated the process of debriefing his nakama. This time, the cook completely deleted any parts that could be used against him, which was most of the time in the cabin.

"Well, that makes sense. However, I can't believe you broke your leg like that," Nami commented at the end of it all. Had one of the boys said that, Sanji would have turned them all into a few new pairs of boots.

"Neither can I, Nami-san. I blame Shitty-Marimo for it all, though," Sanji concluded. Luffy jumped up off the floor and walked over to his cook.

"Sanji, why do you blame Zoro? He didn't do anything wrong; he just got sick," the captain seemed disappointed, somehow.

"'Course I blame him! He was sick before we left, decided not to tell Chopper, and _I_ had to pay for it!" Luffy stayed stoic, despite the fact that Sanji was blowing up in is face.

"Chopper said you saved his life…and that you could've died yourself. He owes you, and I bet he'll be grateful for what you did," Luffy explained. This struck a chord with the blond.

"Huh… I guess you're right," Sanji yawned. "What time is it?"

"'Bout six o'clock," Mox answered, "I'd better start up dinner. How's pot roast sound to you guys?" Sanji was about to offer to cook, but Nami shot him own with a glare.

"Fine to me. Anyone object?" everyone shook his or her head. Minutes later, Chopper came down.

"Oh, hey Chopper," Sanji greeted from the futon. "What's up? Something happen to Marimo?"

"No, not yet. He should be conscious soon, so who wants to take the next watch?" Luffy and Usopp fooled around on the floor, useless. Nami 'studied' her maps; Robin was absorbed in her newest book. Mox and Roxi were finished with their turns, and Chopper refused to bother the Strawhats' gracious hosts.

"I'll take care of him," Sanji suggested. Chopper did a double take.

"Huh?" the poor doctor was utterly bewildered.

"Sure. I'm bunking with him, so why not. If anything happens, I'll get you right away," Sanji rose off the sofa and began to trek upstairs.

"Are you absolutely positive?" Sanji nodded. "Okay. Have fun."

Long after the cook had taken up the position of Zoro-watching, he realized how easy it was to work himself up. Boredom and worry swirled around inside his stomach, fighting for control of Sanji's body. He had stayed by Zoro's side long after dinner, and just wanted to _sleep._ But, whenever his eyes would close, the blond would have flashes of Zoro in pain and scared about being alone in a foreign environment. Trusting that Zoro would stay asleep throughout the night, Sanji crawled into bed, facing his lover. He closed his eyes and went out immediately, subconsciously relishing his forty winks.

* * *

><p>"Ah… I slept sooo damn well," Sanji yawned and stretched his arms. He slid out of bed and crawled across to Zoro, actually upset to see the Marimo still out it. "Hahh…" Sanji sighed. "Wonder how you've been doing these past few days," he whispered.<p>

"I don't know," Zoro's eyes cracked open, voice weak. "You tell me, Swirly," he smiled. The cook stared, eyes moistening. Zoro sat up on his elbows, only to be glomped back down by a softly crying Sanji. The blond hugged Zoro as tight as he could, face becoming damp.

"Stupid…(hic) Marimo… Scaring us (hic) like that. Scaring _me_ like that," he felt Zoro squeeze him back. Sanji cried silently, muttering curses and words of love into the swordsman's ear. He pulled away, eyes red and puffy.

"Sanji…" Zoro had no idea about what had happened, but remembered the nightmares he had. All were about Sanji.

"Shhh…" the world could wait. "Zoro…to be honest, I was scared. Tell me…are you in any pain? Chopper will kill us both if I don't tell him you're awake." Zoro though for a moment, then pulled Sanji down next to him.

"No, I'm fine. At least, now that I can see your face. Thank you for all you did," Zoro brought their faces together. "I love you, Sanji," he whispered.

"I love you, too, Zoro."

They brought their faces together, and kissed, all too happy to be together, no matter what.

**Wow. That was kinda sappy, wasn't it? Ah, screw it.**

**Roxi's a perv, and she is like me personality wise. That was an accident, and I look nothing like her.**

**Happy Memorial Day Weekend, everyone!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Frostbite Chapter 7**

**Yes, it's late, I know, but I hope the length makes up for it.**

**holic: Don't worry, I took no offense in your first comment. I'm glad you like it and have lots to say! ^0^**

**meff: Got on the train a little late, but I do that all the time. Keep on readin'! 8^3**

**Red Voident Dragon: Woohoo! Another fan of my terrible writing! I'm so lucky! ^~^**

**preisempf: Yes, sir! Ma'am, whatever... =P**

**HappyMe-O: Hehehehehe (giggles like a school girl) I'm sow gwad woo wiked it! ;D**

**THIS IS AN IMPORTANT NEWS FLASH: It is likely that I will put One Piece on hiatus when I'm done with this, 'cause I'm writing for other anime as well. The mpreg will be a big project for me. Lots of research, lots of writing, and I'll probably do it over the summer. The vote continues on! (2/3 mpreg, I think) Enjoy the story! **

What was once a thankful reunion kiss soon turned into a full-blown face sucking for Sanji. He carefully straddled Zoro's hips and leaned into his face, fighting for control. Zoro, on the other hand, was sitting up and struggling to maintain dominance in his weakened state. The Marimo's hand silently crawled over to Sanji's rear and gave a hard squeeze, causing the poor cook to blush.

"Sanji…" Zoro murmured, "I really appreciate what you did for me. Hope you don't mind me paying you back like this," before Sanji could answer, he pressed their faces back together. A hand ruffled and threaded through the blonde's hair; a familiar tongue entered his mouth. Sanji lifted his arms and hugged Zoro around his neck, lifting onto his knees and pressing down harder. They broke away for breath and Sanji remembered something.

"Zoro, you have a high fever. If we continue, the stress and rising body heat could kill you." Zoro ignored him and began to rip off his now useless bandages.

"All this," he started on Sanji's, "for a few cuts? Chopper's a little obsessed with gauze, or is I just me?" Zoro was still clawing at the cook's back when his wrists were grabbed. A red-faced Sanji stared Zoro in the eyes, then proceeded to pin him to the bed.

"Listen to me, Marimo. You. Are. Sick. If I do so much as get your libido up, you could die. Get it?" Zoro just stared at him.

"You're a pervert," he grinned. Sanji blinked, then smirked himself.

"You brought this on yourself," he clamped a hand over Zoro's mouth. " CHOPPER!" he called to the door. "THE MARIMO'S AWAKE! COME QUICK!"

"Mrww mrmrd!" _You bastard. _Zoro took a swing at Sanji with his free hand, which was deflected easily. A miniature stampede was heard before it was seen, and all the Straw Hats, and their new friends, crammed them selves through the door. Sanji instantly regretted pinning Zoro when he saw the girls, and his facial flush traveled to his neck. There was an awkward silence that Luffy broke effortlessly.

"Why is Sanji on top of Zoro? Were they doing-?"

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, _SHUT UP!"_ Sanji had jumped off of Zoro and began to kick the shit out of his naïvely blunt captain. What the cook didn't notice were his bandages – they had begun to fall off in ribbons. Zoro sat up once more, biting back a laugh as he saw the other faces in the room. Nami and Robin grinned like they had been proved right, while Usopp flipped out.

"Told ya so~!" a blond girl giggled as a teenaged boy reluctantly handed her a wad of Beli. Zoro noticed the cast around Sanji's leg and wondered how it got there.

"Oi! Save it for later!" Chopper squeaked. "I have a patient, so everyone out," without a word of protest, the room emptied, aside from Sanji. Usopp could still be heard, shrieking that 'gay-tards' were all around him.

"May I stay, Chopper? In case the Marimo goes berserk?" Zoro scowled outside of the doctor's field of vision. Beneath the frown, the greenie was smiling, and Sanji knew it.

"Sure, Sanji. I might need some help later on, so feel free to stick around." Chopper answered as he hopped onto the bed next to Zoro, who appeared nervous. For the umpteenth time, the reindeer removed a thermometer from his bag, and planted it into the swordsman's mouth. Sanji slipped onto the bed and supported Zoro from behind, who was barely able to stay upright on his own.

"So," Sanji began, "what's up? Any better, or is it the same?" Chopper frowned and looked up.

"It's raised a half a degree. Wonder why…" the swordsman gave the cook a 'you were serious?' expression.

"I think the towel came off in the night, Chopper. He may need another ice bath," Sanji teased. Poor Zoro was in shock.

"When the Hell did I ever take an _ice bath?"_ the Marimo whipped his head from one nakama to the other.

"When you first got here. Your temperature was too high, so we put you in a bathtub full of snow. You don't remember it 'cause you were unconscious at the time," Chopper gave a simple, happy smile as he continued to work. Zoro sighed and allowed himself to lean into Sanji, weakened from hunger and illness.

"Oi, oi, oi. Marimo, no sleeping just yet - you've been out for two or more days. Not even you can sleep that long," Sanji scolded.

"Idiot. I'm hungry and I feel like crap," a gurgle from the greenie's exposed stomach proved him right.

_And the bastard was about to have sex with me. What a shitty prick._ The cook thought as Zoro winced from the frosty stethoscope pressed into the top of his scar. He sighed.

"Well, as soon as Chopper's done, I'll make you something." Zoro smiled and nodded.

"Actually, Sanji, Zoro shouldn't have anything solid until a while after I give him the medicine. One of the side affects of it is that he gets severe diarrhea and vomiting. However, the chances are slim, but it's best to prevent it from happening in the first place."

"Perfect. I starve then my stomach implodes. Wait, what exactly have I got? How did we get here, and who were those two people?" Zoro realized, much to his horror, that he was utterly clueless as to what happened.

"Long story short, Marimo, a bunch of shit happened and you've got some weird disease called twarze. Chopper's got some medicine for it, but we have to keep your fever down until then or you'll die. You done yet, Chopper?" Zoro was still very much confused, but went with the flow.

"Almost. Now, Zoro," the Marimo snapped back to attention, "later on, your symptoms will advance, so if you're in any pain or discomfort, send someone to get me. Until your fever's gone, you're on bed rest. And I mean it." Chopper returned his medical equipment to his backpack and met Zoro's pained gaze.

"It's hot in here," he stated, hoping to escape his imminent confinement. Sanji felt his now-bare chest become moist with foreign perspiration and spoke up.

"Seriously, Chopper. I think he might need another ice bath. He's sweating all over me like an animal, and it's really gross." Zoro turned around on the bed to face the annoying blond, only to be cut off by the chibi doctor.

"Well, it is the best option to bring his temperature back down, so I'll prep the tub. Sanji, I want you to stay here and rest your leg. Luffy and Usopp can carry Zoro to the bathroom, while the girls can assist me," Sanji nodded as Zoro's jaw fell open.

"Oi! I'm right here! There's no way I'm letting those two anywhere near me, or that witch," Zoro ignored Sanji's gasp and continued. "I can handle myself," the greenie concluded as he stood up sharply, only to feel incredibly faint.

"Zoro!" Chopper cried as the swordsman wavered. Sanji launched of the bed when Zoro crumbled to the carpeted floor, panting.

"Stupid Marimo! Do as Chopper tells you, damnit," the cook lifted Zoro onto the opposite bed and laid him out. "Might want to prepare that bath soon, Chopper," Sanji muttered as Zoro groaned. The reindeer stuttered something and dashed from the room at Mach two.

"Head…hurts…" the swordsman bit as he squeezed his eyes shut; blindly rubbing his forehead. Sanji rested his hand in Zoro's, which he grasped like a lifeline. Several agonizing minutes later, Zoro's grip slackened and his eyes peeled open.

"What the fuck's wrong with you?" Sanji hissed. "What part of 'you're sick and could die' do you not understand?" Zoro simply grunted and shrugged. Only Usopp and Luffy bursting into the room prevented Sanji from beating the absolute shit out of his lover.

"Zoro~! Bath time!" Luffy squawked as the door slammed against the wall.

"Ah! Too loud…" the swordsman whimpered and covered his ears. Sanji stared; he had never seen the Marimo like that before. Luffy saw that his nakama was in pain and turned the volume down.

"Oops. Sorry, Zoro," the captain muttered. Zoro opened his eyes, only to cringe at the hard pole-like objects that forced him upward and onto a scratchy blanket. A soft, familiar hand stroked his bare arm, comforting him.

"Who the hell said you could manhandle him like that?" Sanji growled at Usopp.

"Calm down. He's just sensitive to certain forms of stimuli when he's like this. That's what Chopper said, at least," it took the sniper a crapload of balls to say that to the bristling chef. Sanji sat back down on the bed, not wanting to be a hypocrite by going against the doctor's orders. Usopp and Luffy carted the boxer-clad swordsman out the door and out of sight, depressing the blond. But, not wanting to stay half-naked for the rest of the day, Sanji pawed through the laundry basket in the corner of the room for a shirt. Slipping a brown one, with the word "dish" spelled vertically on it, over his head, he lay back down and pondered every soup recipe he knew for something Zoro would like.

As the cook relaxed, a trio of females unceremoniously dropped his sweaty and ill boyfriend into a massive tub of ice water. The swordsman's stretcher-bearers quickly cleared out of the girl's master bathroom when Chopper barked orders to the girls.

"Holy crap, déjà vu…" Roxi muttered as Zoro shivered and panted once again.

"Okay, good. Keep him like this until he drops down a degree, and then take him out. Dry him off, change his underwear, and make sure he remains minimally covered. Can you do that while Mox takes me to the medicine shop?" Chopper instructed as Nami tied an apron on.

"Of course, Doctor-san. Swordsman-san will be treated with the utmost care," Robin calmly replied. Chopper bobbed his head and walked out the door, leaving them behind.

"Well, lets get to it," Roxi snapped a pair of kitchen gloves on and bent over the tub, marveling at Zoro's exposed body for the second time. His breathing had since relaxed, an extremely toned chest rising and falling in a gentle pattern.

"What's there to do?" Nami asked. "We just take his temperature every few minutes," she was oblivious to the wet hand that was levitating inches from her wrist. She shrieked when Zoro snatched it; all we surprised to find him awake so soon.

"What the hell is going on?" he turned to Roxi. "Who _are_ you, and why are you in here?" the swordsman jerked his head to each of the women, eyes wide with confusion.

"Hello, Zoro-san. My name is Roxi, and you're staying in my inn until you've recovered from your illness. I'm helping Nami-san and Robin-san care for you while Chopper-san and my brother fetch the necessary ingredients for your medicine," she smiled serenely as she explained herself.

"Um, I'm still really confused. I wake up with Swirly talking to me, who's got a _broken leg, _and the next thing I know, I'm in here. What. Happened?" Zoro released Nami's arm and tried to sit up in the bath, only to be stopped by two of Robin's disembodied hands.

"Swordsman-san, we will explain everything to you when we are finished treating you. You are surely hungered, therefore you may eat while we clarify the situation at hand. Please, just relax in the meantime," Robin sponged Zoro's face off with a towel, his flush brightening as he leaned away from her touch.

"Yeah! If you hadn't been a total idiot just now, you wouldn't be here. I swear, you're going to be killed by your thick-headed pride," Nami pinched the bridge of her nose as she scolded her nakama. Zoro flashed her an evil grin, deciding to make the experience more memorable for them all. Before he could do that, he had to understand one thing.

"Roxi, why did that guy give you cash earlier? Was that your brother?" Roxi blushed, her throat tight with embarrassment.

"Well…that _was_ my brother, Mox. Because of earlier occurrences, we had made a bet about you and Sanji-san," she averted his eyes and twiddled her thumbs. Zoro felt a shiver of fear, but didn't let it show. Taking a deep breath, Roxi spilled her secret. "The bet was if you two were in a gay position or not. He said that Sanji-san would be trying to kill you, while I thought that you guys were cuddling or something. Forgive me if this offends you, please don't tell Sanji-san," she let it all out on almost one breath alone.

Zoro didn't know whether to laugh at the irony of it or try to drown himself in the chilly water. He chose to laugh.

"D-Don't worry. I-It d-doesn't offend m-me," Zoro choked out between giggles. Roxi sighed with relief as Nami scooped more ice into the bin. "Oi, I can feel that," Zoro was serious again.

"Good. That means it's working," the navigator smirked as she dumped a shovelful of ice onto Zoro's groin. He hissed in pain and tried to brush it off, only to be restrained by Robin. Limbs held to the sides of the tub, the swordsman was completely vulnerable to the women.

"What the Hell are you doing?" he barked. Nami lifted his wet underwear up and poured a load of the cold substance directly onto his privates. Zoro cried out and writhed in pain, which fueled Nami's hunt for information.

"Are you gay?" she simply threw the question out there. Zoro's killing intent was so strong, Roxi wavered, wishing to melt into the background. The enraged swordsman nodded.

"Yes, I'm gay, and Sanji is my boyfriend. Happy now?" stunned silence filled the large room. Nami simply gaped at her nakama, for the gears in her head ceased functioning. Robin seemed unfazed by the absolute bluntness of the confession, and liberated Zoro from her possible death-grip.

"Well, Swordsman-san, I am pleased by your honesty," the assassin smiled cheerfully and helped Zoro sit up. Roxi was wide-eyed, but spoke first.

"Are you top or bottom?" she blurted, instantly covering her mouth in surprise and shame.

"Swirly'll kill me for telling you, but I top. He also hates to use food during sex and I wish he was more open about it all. Can I get out now?" he was perfectly casual about it all. Nami was still in shock, whereas Roxi was in fangirl heaven.

"As soon as your temperature goes down, Seme-san," Roxi teased as she stuck a thermometer in Zoro's mouth.

_'Seme-san?' That might be taking it too far…_ The swordsman showed obvious irritation at the perverted nickname.

Meanwhile, Sanji's "Zoro-said-something-I'll-never-live-down" senses were tingling. Knowing better than to ignore them, the cook limped out the bedroom and snuck into the girl's room. Crouching down by the bathroom door, Sanji was able to catch a glimpse of Zoro being hauled up and out of the chilly water and onto a bed of towels. Their eyes locked for a moment, and Zoro pointed.

"Well, well, well," Nami said from above. "What do we have here? A peeking cook?"

"N-Nami-san! R-Roxi-chan! I had a bad feeling, so I-I decided to come and check up on you ladies," Sanji was so screwed.

"Hello, Sanji-san. Zoro-san told us something very interesting…" Roxi's jade eyes glistened with evil glee and darted to Zoro. Sanji felt a knot of envy form in his stomach upon seeing Robin drying him off as he lay on the cushioned floor.

"Cook-san, we require your services," Robin had saved him!

"Yes, anything for you, Robin-chwan!" Sanji crawled over, a heart replacing his right eye. Zoro gave a haughty expression to the pervert chef, but it went unnoticed.

"Doctor-san instructed us to change Swordsman-san's clothes when we were finished with his bath," Sanji nodded dumbly. "Because we mutually refused to change him, we elected you to perform the task. We have his clothes right here, so it is your decision." Sanji froze, about to refuse himself, but saw the falsely pained, innocent looks on their faces, and he agreed.

"I shall protect your virtues! Shitty-Marimo shall not compromise your decency!" a determined look shone on his face.

"Perfect! We'll be waiting right outside!" Nami cried and the three women zipped out the door in a blur. The two were alone once again. Their eyes met, and Zoro answered the unvoiced question.

"Yes. I told them about us," Zoro answered with a flawless poker face. Sanji responded by ripping his underwear off, turning him onto his belly, pinning him, and spanking him. Repeatedly. The girls were struggling to contain their laughter and sexual jokes as they heard the slaps through the door.

Zoro snapped after the twelfth hit.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR?" he screamed as he spun over and sat up, smashing their faces together. Ass and forehead smarting, Zoro stumbled back down to his side, legs curled in. Sanji secretly thought that, when he was vulnerable, Zoro scared him.

"You told them," Sanji whispered, being very un-ukeish. "That was your punishment. Sorry if I hurt you, but I figured you could take it," the cook massaged Zoro's cherry-red rear in apology.

"Funny. They asked you to help me put a freakin' pair of underwear on, and you hit me instead," the greenie scolded as he sat up. "Does it bother you? The old 'ignorance is bliss' thing? You know I'm fine with you flirting with those two, 'cause we're nakama," Zoro had moved onto his all fours, ass more pink than red. Sanji sat in front of him, legs crossed and eyes closed.

"You want your clothes or not?" he pulled a pair of maroon briefs out of nowhere and threw them at Zoro's head. "Roxi-chan's brother is notably smaller than you. Be glad you got those."

"Gee, thanks," Zoro slipped the garments on, annoyed to see that they were a tad tight. Hunger and the recent weariness took over, causing Zoro to slump against the wall. Sanji sprang into action, supporting the swordsman as he panted for breath.

"You're too weak to be moving around. Time to go back to bed, Zoro; dinner will come then," the cook carefully lifted Zoro up and onto his back. Sanji choked a snicker when he saw the greenie's butt - the too-small, red man panties had ridden up his crack, so he was basically in a thong.

"Grrr…. I can walk, damnit. Lemme down," Zoro pouted as the blond chef carefully stepped through the doorway. The trio waited patiently outside, Roxi blushing as heavily as Zoro.

_No doubt those spanks got her going. Can't wait 'till she sees his ass!_ In fact, the she-perv groped him when she got close enough, making him yip.

"Mmmph! That's my job, not yours," everyone cracked up, even Robin. Finally, the room where the couple was bunking was reached, and without incident. Sanji carefully laid Zoro on the thinly sheeted bed, and stifled a snort. The underwear was _way_ to tight; wiry green hairs were visible at the top of the spandex band.

"So his hair color _is_ natural. Of course, you've known that for some time, huh?" Nami teased. Sanji adjusted the underpants and tucked him in with a sheet, smirking at the cuteness. Zoro turned to his side and the cook stroked his forehead.

"Oi, Zoro," Sanji muttered. "What do you want to eat?" the swordsman closed his eyes and buried his face in the pillow.

"Mmm…something hot 'n' tasty 'n' made by you… Pwease?" he mumbled adorably. Even though Sanji knew that Zoro felt awful, he couldn't help but call him cute.

"Okay, Zoro-chan," the blond answered and pecked him on his cheek. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"Mmm'kay," Zoro curled in tighter between the thin blankets. Sanji sighed and left Zoro alone, for the women had been long gone.

The chef-turned-nurse returned to his lover ten minutes later, the same tray as earlier in his arms. Sanji almost squealed with delight when he entered the room; Zoro snoring softly, folded in half. His face was more peaceful than it had been for some time. Making as little noise as possible, Sanji deposited the plate on the nightstand and leaned over his boyfriend.

"Zoro…dinner's ready. Rise an' shine," he cooed and kissed the swordsman gently.

"Mmmmrph," Zoro sat up slowly, gripping his abdomen in discomfort.

"Aww, does Zowo have a tummy ache? Tsk, tsk, tsk. I've got just the thing," Sanji ignored the groggy death-glare he was receiving and stacked pillows behind Zoro. "There. Lean back," the greenie gladly obeyed and sank into the cushions.

"Yum…food," Zoro could smell it - tomato soup with crushed-up crackers. Because of the extra padding, he didn't have to put in the effort of sitting up, and was fully relaxed. Sanji situated the tray on Zoro's lap and stirred the contents of the bowl into a swirl.

"Open up," Sanji held the spoon in front of his mouth. Zoro complied, and his mouth was filled with Sanji's wonderful cooking. It took time for the bowl to be emptied, due to its immense size, but it filled the starving swordsman's stomach. Soup wasn't the only thing on the platter, and a cold, wet towel was plopped onto Zoro's face when the spare pillows were removed.

"Thank you. It was good," Sanji smiled at the simple appreciation.

"Glad you liked it. Now, I'm going to wake you up in a few hours for more, 'cause it won't last you very long," the cook paused. "Zoro…" he knelt down. "This whole shitty thing – I hope you learn from it."

"I have…" Sanji stood and turned. "Wait," he stopped. "Sanji…I love you- mmmmrrfff!" the chef had flung himself onto Zoro in a full-mouth kiss. He pulled away after a moment.

"I love you, too.  
>"<strong>And I always will.<strong>"

**Yeah, the last line was in unison. I'll probably keep going for a few more chapters. Sorry if it seems like I'm dragging this out! I'm trying not to!**

**One last thing - well, two: it's my birthday and HAPPY SUMMER TO EVERYONE!**


	8. HIATUS NOTICE!

Apology

Okay, I'm really sorry about this! This fanfiction is officially on hiatus, and for several reasons, but I'll just give you the summarization. I've gotten stuck on Kid/Law, and can't go back, and I hate the writing I put in this fic. By the way, the mpreg is teetering in my brain, and drabble isn't happening.

I would like to thank all those who stuck with me and reviewed the last chapter I posted:

SaraSamaOfDOOMoffline—Thank you for the happy birthday, and all the nice things you said!

HappyMe-O— Cute is always best. Thanks! I feel like a schmuck…

meff—All semes' shall be punished! Thank you so much! P.S. most everyone forgot about it, you were FAR from late.

preisempf—Fluff is what I do! Thanks for the B-Day!

Dragonnotte—Jeez, I'm really sorry if I'm letting you down! Thanks for voting!

Leo's Katanas—Nice to see you're at a loss for words. You might have to wait a while, though.

If I **ever** get around to it, I might finish this fic. I will **not** rewrite it. **Again, I'm terribly sorry!**


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